This is a blog by a Memphian who wants to share his unique perspective, along with some interesting facts & information, about cycling in & around the city of Memphis.

Follow by Email

Thursday, March 10, 2016

It's time that we embrace the idea that the streets belong to all people

It’s time
that we embrace the idea that the streets belong to all people
By:Michael Lander

This is another take on the word - Coexist -
that was created to promote the continuing
efforts to include cyclists and pedestrians
on our streets.

“The streets belong to the people.”

In the representative democracy that we live in, there seems
to be something that is quite appealing about the idea that all
people have an equal right to certain things, like our streets, which
have been constructed for the good of us all and, in many ways, belong to us
all.

In the ensuing decades that followed, and long after women finally secured the right to vote in 1920, this rallying cry could
have easily taken on a new meaning as a growing number of community activists,
and bicycling advocates, sought to make the streets much more accessible for all
people, and not just those who were in motor vehicles.

Throughout most of the Twentieth Century, cars and trucks, in the U.S., for the
most part, ruled the roads, and a lot less consideration, or accommodations,
were rarely ever made with cyclists and pedestrians in mind.

By the late Twentieth Century, however, this began to slowly change in dozens
of cities across the U.S. and, today, most now see the value of having streets
that are safe and much more accessible to all people.

Click here to read the history of bikes and American society by the League of American Bicyclists
and see the role that cycling advocates played in making U.S. city streets
better for everyone.

Even though much progress has been made in making the roads much more
accessible, and more bike and pedestrian-friendly, not all motorists have
gotten on board with the idea.

This is a promotional banner to remind motor vehicle
operators to share the road because they belong to
everybody.

Attitudes can sometimes be the last thing to change and the attitudes of some
motorists haven’t necessarily changed with the times.

As roads have become a lot more congested with vehicles, and as more and more
cyclists have also begin to hit the roads, too, there can be an intensifying
competition for a limited amount of road space, and any inconveniences,
momentary delays, or any real or perceived failures of cyclists to observe the
rules of the road, etc., have occasionally led to greater problems, dangers,
and even road rage against cyclists.

It might seem difficult to know how to mitigate any of the us-(cyclists)-verses-them-(motorists)-mentality, but the best place to start might begin with
education.
In spite of all of the efforts that have been made, to this point in time, there are
still some out there who are blissfully unaware of the fact that cyclists have every right to be on the road and simply telling these folks that the
streets belong to people and not cars would likely do very little to sell them on the idea or to get them to change
their minds one iota.

The only hope for cyclists is that people will become better educated prior to
being issued a driver’s license and that they will be periodically reminded, (be
it public service announcements, etc.), that cyclists do have every legal right
to be on the roadway, too.

Cyclists, for their part, must be willing to do what they can to help minimize
some of the problems and they can do this by observing the rules of the road, being considerate and conscientious,
and by becoming public advocates who are willing to regularly get their message
out to the public.

This image is a reminder that our streets belong
to everybody and not just for motorists.

Cyclists should also be politically active and to support those who support
them.Vote for those who are willing and
able to promote a bicycle-friendly environment with an infrastructure that
benefits all people that includes both cyclists and pedestrians.

Sometimes, it would seem that our local, state, and federal legislatures will take
steps backwards on issues that might negatively impact cyclists and pedestrians so it
is always important for cyclists to remain vigilant, to voice their objection,
and to take action whenever this occurs.

Recently, a Tennessee State bill has been proposed that would restrict the use
of funding (from a possible future gas tax) on any bicycle and pedestrian
projects throughout the state.

Cyclists and pedestrians should attempt to stop any legislation that might
minimize or thwart any spending on future cycling and pedestrian projects.

Since most cyclists and pedestrians have cars, and they pay the very same sales and property taxes as
motorists do, which are used to help build and repair the very same roads that we all walk or ride on, they should not be excluded in how those tax dollars are then spent.

One possible solution, that would come at a cost, but would be a potentially
safer alternative for cyclists, is one that would get the cyclists off of the
road and would eliminate the need for them to share the same lanes with cars.

This alternative could come with protected bike lanes that would physically separate cars
from cyclists and would give the cyclists their own lanes, instead.

As good as this idea might seem, however, there are some who have serious
reservations about pursuing this.

John Forester, who is a bicycling engineer from Lemon Grove in San Diego
County, is one of them.

This image is a way to promote the
benefits of cycling. As more people
begin to see the value of cycling, and
more people begin riding, more will
be done to better accommodate them.

Christine Aschwanden in her article, “Bikes and Cars:Can we share the Road?,” describes Forester as being the
father of the “vehicular cycling movement,” which she says “is a philosophy
that views the bicycle as a form of transportation on the streets alongside
cars.”

Forester, and others like him, she says, believe that efforts to push bikes
into separate lanes or bike paths only help to reinforce the notion that
bicycles don’t belong on the street in the first place and that it relegates
them into a separate and not-quite-as-equal status.

If the protected bike lanes are not the panacea that they would seem to be,
they could at least be an option in certain circumstances, especially on highly
trafficked roadways or where it might enhance the flow of traffic and safety
for vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Ultimately, most cities will eventually have to grapple with these issues, if
they haven’t already.Times are changing
and they need to.It has already taken
too long to get where we are and we can’t afford to go backwards now.

We must all learn that we can and must coexist and be willing to share the road
and every person, city, and the entire nation needs to become more bicycle and
pedestrian-friendly.

The roads were not just built for
cars and people
don’t get the sense of community until they get out of their cars, and begin to
walk or ride their bikes around in and around their neighborhoods.

As soon as we all realize this, and embrace that, we will finally get where we
need to be in this country.

The streets truly belong to the people and all people have the right to be on
the streets.

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

I am a long-time resident of Memphis, Tennessee. I had a long active duty military career and I am now a student at the University of Memphis. I am married to a native Memphian who is a retired Memphis City School teacher. When I am not busy, or in school, you will likely find me out riding my bike or jogging around my East Memphis neighborhood. If you would like to learn more of my passion for cycling, you can follow me on twitter at - https://twitter.com/memphiscyclist, or you can check out my cycling website - http://memphiscyclist.com. If you have any questions or comments about my blogs, my website or about Memphis cycling, please feel free to contact me at mikel5061@yahoo.com.